Avatar of Courage
by Wish Porter
Summary: The beginning. Where it all began. When the Golden Goddesses created the Triforce. When they came back and chose apostles. The first three bearers. How chaos threatened order, the first time. This, is the legend of Link. He is more than just the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, or an eternal hero. He is Farore's Hero, her Chosen, her Avatar of Courage.
1. Prologue

Prompts

Hero of Twilight, Hero of Time, Hero of Seas, Hero of Light, Gerudo, Telma's Bar, Hero of the Skies, STAR Game, Rutela, Palace of Twilight, Spirit Temple, Reincarnation, Fierce Deity, Heroes of Hyrule, Champion of Light, Princess of Destiny, Courage Incarnate

So I haven't seen any other stories like this, or rather, this plot line. Anyway, I'm hoping it's original and that someone else likes it!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Legend of Zelda Franchise, just copies of the games.

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><p>Not many Hylians knew about this particular part of their history.<p>

They all knew the legend of the Triforce and the Golden Goddesses and how the Triforce broke apart. Slightly less common was the knowledge that the three parts embodied power, wisdom, and courage. Even less common was the knowledge that the three parts of the Triforce each had a bearer, the person who most strongly represented one of these traits.

Perhaps fifty people in the existence of time knew the rarest knowledge about the Triforce. All bearers of the Triforce were chosen not only by the Goddesses, but also by blood.

In order to properly explain this concept, we must go back. Back to the beginning.

True to the legend, after creating Hyrule, the three Golden Goddesses did indeed retreat to the heavens... What the legend did not say is that they came back five decades later.

The Goddesses had decided to take students, to be their Apostles.

Din, Goddess of Power had only to look to the leaders, upstarts, and the children of leaders and upstarts to find a person who desired power and had the ability to become powerful. She had chosen a young man feared for his strength and influence who had been exiled. The man and his entire family had been banished from their home on Death Mountain to the unforgiving desert.

Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom looked in libraries, among archivists, researchers, teachers, scribes, scholars, and storytellers for a person who was intelligent, sensible, had good judgement, and believed(like herself) that one could never know too much about anything. She had chosen a member of the royal family. Specifically, the younger brother to the crown prince. As was tradition in royal families, the younger brother had travelled the path of the scholar. Not only was the prince of above average intelligence, he also possessed a thirst for knowledge and a wealth of common sense.

Farore, Goddess of Courage, could not simply find people doing certain jobs and search their minds as her sisters had. She had to look deeper to find who she was looking for. She scoured the heights of the mountains, the depths of the lakes, oceans, and rivers, the heat of the desert, the flat, grassy plains, the shadows of the lush forests. Everywhere that there were people, Farore looked. There had been many courageous people. But not quite what she was looking for. After months of searching, she went to think in the place she felt most comfortable; the locals called it the Wandering Wood.

It was there that she met him. A little boy sitting on a log in the middle of the forest. He looked almost mystical. Blonde hair bleached almost white from the sun, lines of mud on his face as camoflauge, and big blue eyes the colour of fresh spring water. Dressed in clothes of leaves, he looked like the offspring of a Great Fairy. His features were softer than the typical Hylian boy but he was unmistakably male. He sat on a large stump playing a set of reed pipes in harmony with a vaguely human shaped forest creature.

She learned that the boy was the only link between the Hylian people and the creatures of the Wandering Wood, therefore he was called Link. Coming from a long line of Speakers, he understood the languages of the forest creatures. He lived in the forest in order to keep peace. Most of the creatures in the forest were dangerous and prone to rampaging in nearby villages. Link stopped them. People sometimes came into the forest in refuge or to stir up trouble. Link escorted them out. The Wandering Wood was rumoured by nearby villagers to be cursed. Anyone who went into the forest without a strong will would get lost and wander confused until they became a creature themselves. This was what happened to Link's parents. Link confessed that he feared becoming distracted and becoming one of the lost wanderers himself. This kind of bravery, sacrifice, strength of character, and determination in the face of fear was exactly what she was looking for.

This boy would be her Avatar of Courage.


	2. Chosen

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda

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><p>The three students of the Golden Goddesses travelled to the Sacred Realm to study with their respective goddess. This moment was the first time that the students had seen each other. It was also the moment when they met the goddesses other than their respective patron.<p>

Din was vibrant in crimson. Her halo of fiery hair was held in a ponytail atop her head with a gold band. She did not wear a dress; her clothing was more of a wrap. A breast wrapping functioned as a shirt. There were fine golden chains running along the length of the fabric. More red fabric wound around her hips and upper thighs; there the wrap changed to loose red pants. Her feet were bare with golden triangular bracelets on each of her ankles. She wore a thick golden band on her right bicep. On her forehead was a gold circlet with a triforce hanging from it. The middle of the triforce - which was usually empty - was filled by a ruby. Her eyes were magma, her skin was the metallic golden ripple of glowing coals. The tall woman radiated strength and power.

Nayru was a vision in blue. Her long hair fell in waves to her feet. It was the deepest of blues and moved as if it were afloat in a stream. A golden circlet like that of her sister kept the hair out of her face. In the middle of Nayru's triforce was a sapphire cut in the shape of the inverted triangle. The goddess was covered by a blue gauzy fabric draped loosely over her body. A delicate golden chain was wrapped repeatedly around her waist; it gave the dress a shape. Her feet were also bare though only her toes peeked out from under the dress. Her eyes were the darkest depths of the ocean, her skin was sunshine dancing on the surface of the water. Nayru was wisdom and kindness.

Although Link had seen his patron goddess before now, he was again astounded by her divine beauty.

Farore was the most innocent of the Three. Her hair was the colour of new leaves in the spring and the ends softly brushed her collarbone. A golden circlet also adorned her forehead with a finely cut emerald filling the space in the dangling triforce. Farore wore clothes that would not have looked amiss in the Wandering Wood itself. The top of her dress was a dark forest green with long sleeves that would protect the skin of her arms from brambles and branches. The skirt was high on her thighs and a slit up the side allowed movement. Her feet were bare like each of her sisters before her. Around her left ankle was a fine gold chain. Her eyes were the forest, her skin was the sunlight peeking through the canopy at midday. Farore was kind and spirited, beautiful and courageous, she was the forest, the wind. Farore was life itself.

It was then that their studies began.

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><p>They were formally meeting each other for the first time.<p>

Link glanced over at his Lady. He was young, he was nervous, he was small, he was feeling a little sick, he was chosen.

He looked at Nayru's Prince. He was tall, he was handsome, he was graceful, he was self-assured, he was a man, he was chosen.

He looked at Din's Warrior. He was tall, he was strong, he was powerful, he was arrogant, he was a man, he was chosen.

He looked to his Lady. She smiled at him.

She was glorious.

He was Farore's Hero. He was compact, he was valiant, he was swift, he was perceptive, he had potential. He was Chosen.

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><p>Link knocked on the door across the hall from his own. Farore's door. Each of the students had been given a room for them to use at their discretion. Instead of placing them all together, the goddesses had separated their students. A student would be housed in a room across from their respective goddess. This would allow for easier learning and acceptance of their divine teachings.<p>

Link was a frequent visitor to his mentor's room. She was the only familiar thing in a strange new world. It was hard for him. There were new languages he had to be familiar with. There were new foods, new poisons. New animals, new dangers, new geography.

To Link, living in a new land was terrifying. He'd lived in the Wandering Wood all his life, nobody had known it better. He'd known the animals, the plants, the trees; he could have walked the forest blind without tripping.

Now, there was none of that. Link was only familiar with two things. One was Farore. She was his role model, his patron, his mentor, his light, his everything. The other was the familiar presence of the dark forest just beyond the castle grounds.

The door opened.

"Link, come in. I've told you that you may enter without knocking upon being summoned."

Link nodded but payed the request no heed. He'd read in a book on propriety that Farore had given him that he should always knock when entering the living quarters of another person. He closed the door behind him and bowed to his Lady. "You summoned me, my Lady?"

"Indeed. It occurred to me that we should perhaps have some rules, different than those of the others. Since you are younger than the others, you will be easier to teach. This means that you will find yourself unoccupied far more. Therefore, I insist that you will be practicing multiple disciplines. You will also learn from my sisters. Though it is my way, courage is not everything."

Link nodded. "As you say, my Lady."

The child Goddess gazed at the boy fondly. "As is only proper, you will eat the entire contents of your plate when we dine. Your meals are meticulously planned for proper nutrition and growth. Similarly, you will follow the exercise schedule that my sisters and I will devise. Exercise ensures good health."

Link nodded. "As you say, my Lady."

The Goddess retreated into her room, toward the large window over looking the grounds and the forest. "This Trinity Castle is the sole stronghold of purely light beings in the Sacred Realm. All who reside here are trustworthy. I ask of you now to never stray from Trinity Castle when not in the company of someone trustworthy. Link, this will be most difficult for you. The forest beyond the grounds is forbidden entirely. That forest is called the Rayless Forest for it is untouched by the light of the Infinite Spirit. That forest is a haven for the darkest of beings that hunger for the passion of mortal souls. As such, you are not to enter it."

What? Not go near the forest? One of the only familiar things was forbidden to him!?

"..."

Farore looked back at him inquisitively over her shoulder, her eyes shining in the light through the window. Her tone was expectant. "Link?"

She was his everything in this new world. Even so, could he give up the forest for her?

"...As you say, my Lady."


	3. Ganondorf

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda

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><p>It had been years. Seven years. Eighty four months. Three hundred and sixty four weeks. Eight thousand, seven hundred and thirty six days. Two hundred and nine thousand, six hundred and sixty four hours. Twelve million, five hundred seventy nine thousand, eight hundred and forty minutes. Seven hundred fifty four million, seven hundred ninety thousand, four hundred seconds. Seven agonizing years.<p>

Link had tried, he truly had.

He'd followed every rule and command. He'd trained with the others. He'd trained with the Lady Din and her student, Ganondorf. He'd studied with the Lady Nayru and her student, Zeldane. He'd learned with his Lady, Farore. He was now more knowledgeable and much stronger. He was also much more courageous.

He'd eaten everything on his plate for seven years of meals. He didn't even like some of the foods he ate but for his Lady's sake, he ate them. As a result of his well-balanced diet, Link was big and strong.

Finally, as he'd agreed seven years ago at the tender age of ten, he'd stayed away from the Rayless Forest.

Farore had warned him of the beasts in the forest. At age ten he'd agreed that they were terribly frightening indeed.

At age seventeen, not so much.

He was strong, he was smart, he was brave. He'd been training for years. He knew how to survive in a forest. He was ready.

It was time to break Farore's forest rule.

And so, for the first time in seven years, Link left the Trinity Castle without a Divine escort. He was unaware that he was watched as he slipped through the gate and headed toward the forest.

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><p>Ganondorf was walking aimlessly down the corridor. He was bored. For a magical castle in the Sacred Realm, there was not an abundance of activities to occupy a man such as himself.<p>

In his wandering, Ganondorf was lucky to pass by the Entrance Hall just as Link headed out the door. Without an escort.

An evil grin split Ganondorf's face.

Escorts were always rushing them around. Without an escort for once, Link would likely be gone for some time. Without Link, Farore was alone and defenceless. His lucky day.

There was a Goddess alone, and his to take.

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><p>He crept up to the third floor, avoiding the sight of any divine being. After all, he too was without an escort. If this were to become known, he would be dragged to Din's feet and lectured. The element of surprise would no longer be his.<p>

Her door.

He knew it was was hers from the sheer power behind it. None but a Goddess had power like that.

He silently crept in. This was a skill he's acquired previous to his arrival in the Divine Realm. He'd been skilled in thievery.

There she was.

Farore was kneeling at a low table, tending to some plants. The almost child-like goddess was fussing with two vines in particular. Apparently she was trying to tempt the vines with some of her power to wind and grow together. It could possibly create a new breed of vine one day.

As she kneeled with her hair falling around her and her skirt high on her thighs, Ganondorf felt an urge to just take her as his.

Foolishly, impatiently, he threw aside all thoughts of strategy and planning. Perhaps he may have been able to have her willingly, with time.

He stepped out of the shadows, leaving stealth behind.

She heard the footsteps behind her but did not look away from her work. "Link, do you need something? I was of the impression we had completed the day's lessons." When she did not hear a response from her student, she finally turned her head. She froze at seeing Ganondorf behind her.

"Salutations, nymphet." He sneered.

"Ganondorf," she countered. "A goddess' quarters are forbidden to an apostle not her own."

"So I'm aware." He advanced on her slowly. His cloak was removed and carelessly dropped to the floor. "I would like to be associated with you in a way other than apostle and master."

The Goddess' eyes widened in terror and outrage. "You dare! You dare to proposition the divine?!"

Ganondorf laughed. "Not entirely. You see, dearest Nayru is not my type. Too cold, I think. But you, you are young and pure. I could yet tempt you to me; corrupt you." His tone was conspiring, dangerous. "As for Din, the enchantress is a slave to my will."

"How dare you corrupt my sister!"

"It could not be helped. She is not yet aware but I am beyond her power. When the time comes, she will scream my name as I corrupt her." He stalked toward his target, forcing her backwards. "As will you."

"I will do no such thing!" Farore found herself trapped against a wall.

Ganondorf grabbed her delicate wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand. His other hand was put to good use exploring her body.

"Your impure charms and desires will not effect me! Link will stop you!"

The man effortlessly lifted the small goddess by the wrists and threw her to the floor. He towered over her; he caged her in. He crawled on top of her and crooned into her ear, "Your Hero is in the forest. Far from here and far from you."

"He is never far from me." Her tone was defiant.

"He will not get here in time, I promise you."

"He will get here eventually and that is enough." With that, a glowing barrier appeared from the triforce on her forehead. The green magic expanded violently, ripping Ganondorf away from his target. The magical barrier kept growing until the entirety of Farore's chambers were safely inside. Her assailant was tossed outside with little ceremony.

He righted himself and straightened his clothes. Din's Warrior glared at Farore through the translucent green magic. "You can't hide from me forever. The barrier has to come down eventually."

"Indeed? You will find that I am rather gifted in passive magics. This barrier will hold for as long as I will it." She threw Ganondorf's cloak at him.

He caught it and stalked off furiously.

She watched him go, not showing her fear of him or her unease at what the future would bring.


	4. The Rayless Forest

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda

Some concerns about the reviews.

Link is not half fairy, he just lived in a magical forest so it looked as if he was.

Ganondorf doesn't want anything to to with Nayru, she's not his type.

Remember that Farore is an immature goddess, a child goddess as it were. She does not have the full powers of a goddess, which is why Ganondorf was able to overpower he so easily.

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><p>Ganondorf marched through the halls of Trinity castle, his escort scrambling behind him. So the little nymph thought she could shield herself until he gave up on the thought of having her. She was wrong in her thinking! He would yet have her! She would not win this battle of attrition. He merely needed a way to distract her, so that she'd let down her shield…<p>

Her little hero would do nicely, but he was off in the Rayless Forest. Ganondorf would just have to go get him. Where would he go? Time to do some reconnaissance.

Perhaps Din would know more about the child.

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><p>"Hello Supremacy. I wonder if you could answer some questions that have been troubling me?" Ganondorf stalked into his mentor's quarters and sat at a small table she had for metal working.<p>

Din looked over at the irritated man that had sat across from her as she set aside the gems she was inspecting. "Indeed? You shall continue to be troubled unless you ask."

"Farore's Hero. I know his name is Link and that it took Farore far longer to find him than it took your Supremacy and your divine sister to find Zeldane and myself. What else can you tell me?"

"Well, Link is as close to the embodiment of courage as Hylians can be. He was found in a clearing in the Wandering Wood, playing some kind of wind instrument with a forest creature. He protected Hyrule from the evils of the forest and he could speak to the beasts. He is nearly finished his studies with my sister, as you know. He has a weakness for the Rayless Forest. My sister confided to me that he felt drawn to it. He is also very trusting. Is this knowledge enough to ease your troubles?"

"It is. I recently realized that unlike any other being in the castle, I know little of Link. I can only assume that I never considered him a threat, nor powerful enough to be an ally."

Din frowned. "You would be wise to remember that knowledge is power. You must stop making such oversights, if you are to become my Avatar of Power."

"I understand, your Supremacy. I take my leave." With that, Ganondorf stood and swept out of the room.

Din glared at his back. "Impudent fool. Complete his training may be, but wise he is not."

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><p>In his private rooms, Ganondorf was busy disguising himself. He had been truthful to his mistress. He had never considered Link worthy of his time. As such, he had not treated Link as an equal but had lorded over him. If Ganondorf were to encounter Link in the Rayless Forest, the boy would be suspicious. However, the boy was trusting. If Link were to encounter an escort in the Forest that had been searching for him, then Ganondorf and his motivations would remain in the shadows. Link would grow to trust him, and disappear shortly after. Farore would be unprotected and free for him to use at will. Perhaps he would even learn how that defensive barrier of hers worked. He placed the 'borrowed' cowl on his face and gazed upon his reflection in the mirror. He was truly unrecognizable.<p>

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><p>Link had felt a wave of nostalgia when he stepped inside the Rayless Forest. He'd been overjoyed and wasted no time before venturing further into the trees. Yet, as he ventured further into the quiet and gloom, he realized that this forest had little in common with the Wandering Wood. The canopy was too thick, the trees too large, the silence too eerie. Nonetheless, Link kept walking with hope in his heart that the atmosphere of the forest would change to one of welcome familiarity.<p>

It was a time later that Link realized that Farore had been right to warn him from the wood.

He had been peacefully wandering the forest when he came upon a creature, lying injured on the ground. Now, as Hyrule's link to the Wandering Wood, Link had seen his fair share of beasts.

This creature was like no beast that Link had ever seen.

It looked like a mix of a horse and a wolf, with some Stalfos added into the mix. The creature was large; it's shoulders level with Link's nose. Its build was the powerful, lean, predatory build of a wolf with a long equine head and neck. As Link looked upon the creature, he observed that it was composed entirely of bone. No muscle, skin, fur, or sinew, just the bone with additional plates strategically placed as armor.

It was as Link was approaching the hurt creature that he heard the growl.

He very slowly turned his head a minute amount and kept his breathing calm.

Behind him there was a pack of almost a dozen of these beasts.

In front of him, the injured beast's foot snapped back to its correct position. The beast itself effortlessly got up and growled at Link. It had been a diversion, a trap.

What would he do? Panicking wouldn't help. Breathe; stay alert and ready to move. Bow? Back in his room. Sword? Being fixed. Knives? Zeldane was borrowing them. His slingshot would just make them angry. Boomerang? Broken. He had his wooden practice shield. All he could do was fend them off and pray for help. Fighting barehanded would do no good against bone armor.

Link was at the top of his game as he faced the pack of beasts. If one leapt at him, he'd roll under it. If one darted for his feet, he'd jump over it. If one lunged for his side, he'd dodge. If more than one came at him, he'd do his best to dodge but he wasn't above hitting them for his shield.

It was as he was cornered by six of the beasts that his prayers for help were answered. The largest one was tense and ready to jump at him when a knife flew from behind Link and hit it in the shoulder. Link hoped the knife thrower was here to help him and not just senselessly violent but he didn't dare take his eyes off the other beasts. He heard a yelp and then felt a person up against his back. Seeing as he didn't have a blade against his throat, the person was here to help.

"Who are you?"

The person standing back to back with him didn't answer immediately. Link felt movement and assumed he was fighting off a beast. When the man finally spoke, Link knew it was a man.

"I was sent to aid you, Hero. Now, the battle."

Back to back, the two men fought off the beasts. Link would stun them with a hit from his shield and the man would then pierce their bone chest armor in order to free a small orb of black magic. The beasts would then dissolve into nothingness.

It took skill and strength but eventually the last beast fell.

Link turned to face his savior. "Who are you?"

The man was dressed in a blue body suit. On his feet were boots of the same shade. He had white armor from his broad shoulders to his slender hips with the triforce symbol boldly on display. All Link could see of the man's face was one scarlet eye. His hair was wrapped in white cloth, and Link knew there was a wrapped ponytail down his back, except for his long blonde bangs that covered half of his face. Below the man's eyes to the neck of his suit was covered with a white cowl. Link estimated the man to have roughly the same build as him.

"My name is Sheik, Hero. I am a servant of the Goddesses and I was sent to aid you at the request of the lady Farore. She wishes for you to leave this forest and return to the castle. If you are willing, I shall be your guide."

Link frowned. "Farore sent you? I never told her that I was leaving the castle, how would she know to send someone? Also, if you are a servant of my Lady, then I would have seen you before."

"Reasonable concerns, Hero. You would not have seen me before. My people serve the Trinity from the shadows. We see but are not seen." Sheik hesitated. "Hero, the Lady's honor was compromised just hours ago. She was notified by the assailant that you were in the forest and unable to come to her rescue."

Link's eyes were wide and alarmed; his hand flew to where his sword usually rested. His voice was urgent, "My Lady? Does she remain unscathed? Was the aggressor caught? Is their identity known?" Link abruptly turned and slammed his gloved fist into a tree. "How could I leave her unprotected?"

Sheik cautiously approached Link and laid a sympathetic hand on the young man's shoulder. "The Lady Farore was able to protect herself before it was too late, she is safe and unharmed. The aggressor is known to be a man but all else is a mystery; he remains at large."

Link hadn't moved to accept or reject the offered comfort. He did not move from his position but to push his fist harder against the tree. "At least she is free from danger."

"Link it is no fault of yours that a lustful man made an attempt on Farore. You could not have known what would happen in your absence. You are without blame."

Link's shoulders slumped and he let out a shuddering breath. He slowly stood tall and straightened his shoulders. He turned to face Sheik, his face like stone. "Indeed. If what you say is true and my Lady was attacked in my absence, then I must hurry and return to her."

Sheik nodded. "Let us be off."

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><p>The duo had been walking for an hour and had made great progress on their journey out of the forest. It was at this point that Sheik decided to break the silence.<p>

"Hero, it is known that you have completed your training under her Divinity. What think you of the Goddess and her Prince?"

Link continued to forge his way through the underbrush. He could have sworn that there were smooth paths on the way into the forest. "My training with the Goddess Nayru is indeed complete. I learned beside Prince Zeldane about various things. Of course, I only learned things that would be useful to me in the future. Unlike Zeldane, who learns simply for the sake of learning." He laughed at the very concept. "Her Divinity is ethereal in her appearance and most wise. There is no question that she cannot answer. The Prince is almost as an older brother to me. He has been my sole male companion in the castle. He's a brilliant man."

Sheik frowned under his cowl. "Why do look up to Zeldane? What has he done to earn your respect? What of Din's apprentice, Ganondorf? Do you not look up to him? If rumors are to be believed, he is more powerful than Din and his power is growing still."

Link froze and there was a long uncomfortable pause before he answered. "You speak treason. Her Supremacy _is_ power. Nobody, mortal or otherwise, can have more power than her. As to your query about Ganondorf, no, I do not look up to that man. He is cruel and dismissive. He strives for things unreachable and powers unholy. The way you speak puts me in mind of him." He began walking again. "Also, a mere servant has no right to call a Goddess by her name. I dislike that you forwent her Supremacy's title."

The two walked a while before Sheik risked speech again. "What of your Lady? Would you ever lie with her? You are a healthy young man, with healthy desires, I am sure. Would you try to couple with her as the unknown man did?"

Link stopped mid-step, his back ramrod straight. When he turned to face Sheik, his eyes were blazing with righteous fury. He held his hand up to the man, a fireball blazing in his palm. "My Lady taught me this spell herself. It will suck the oxygen out of you as it burns you from the outside in until there is nothing left, without overly damaging your nervous system; you will feel every agonizing moment."

Sheik stayed quiet as he watched the fire burn hotter.

Link continued. "If you were a true servant of the Trinity, you would never disrespect a Goddess by speaking of her without using her title. You would not try to turn me against her Divinity and her Prince. You would not try to sway my loyalties toward Ganondorf. A servant of Farore would definitely _never_ ask me if I supported a man's attempted rape of my Lady! You are no servant of the Goddesses! I doubt if you are even who you appear to be. Leave here! Remove yourself from this forest, from the Trinity! You are not welcome!"

There was a tense pause before Sheik began a sinister laugh. "You would be surprised how welcome I am. Regardless, I shall leave you. Watch your back, Hero. Watch your Lady."


	5. Curse

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda

A bit short but this was the hardest chapter so far.

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><p>"My Lady!"<p>

Farore's head shot up from the wall where she was resting. Her shielding barrier would follow wherever she went but took energy to maintain. In the interest of maintaining the barrier as long as possible, she had not moved.

There, in the open doorway at the edge of her barrier stood Link.

He was a mess. There was dust and dirt all over him. There was dark blood, obviously not human, on his tunic. There were leaves and twigs in his hair. There was mud on his boots. The essence of darkness covered him as a second skin. He'd obviously been in the forest, slaying dark beasts by the feel of it.

She stood. "Link! Oh, how glad I am to see you!" She stepped closer to her apostle with a radiant smile.

Link urgently pressed his palms against the barrier. "My Lady, are you alright? Let down the barrier, I know it drains you. I'm here now, you're safe."

She faltered. "I can't" she whispered, "How would I know that it's my Link I see before me?"

Link bit his lip and leaned his forehead against the barrier. "I would say to trust me but that would be foolish with the recent circumstances. Ask me something that only the two of us know. We certainly spend enough time together." He let a wry smile show.

Farore stood uncertainly inside the barrier with her arms wrapped around herself.

Link closed his eyes. "Please."

Farore let her eyes roam over her pleading student. He looked prostrate with guilt. "Alright." She took a moment to think. "What happened when you were sixteen?"

Link smiled and unlaced the top of his tunic. He pulled it to the side to show what lay underneath. An impersonator wouldn't have been able to duplicate it because it was a secret between Link and his Lady. "When I turned sixteen, the mortal age of manhood, we went to your workroom. We'd been planning for weeks and designed a spell to aid us. I had the symbol of the Triforce branded into my chest as a symbol of my everlasting loyalty to you and your sisters, my Lady."

The barrier fell.

Link bolted into the room and encased the small goddess in his arms. "My Lady, when I heard, I was so furious, so worried! Did you recognize the man? Are you alright?"

"It was Ganondorf."

Link snarled but forced himself to calm. "Are you alright?"

Farore's smile was small but still visible. "I am unharmed. He came into my rooms without permission and he said such terrible things. I argued and he tried to force himself on me. I was just able to get my barrier up." She buried her head into Link's chest for a moment. "You smell like the forest. He said you were there. Perhaps it was wrong of me not to lift the ban when it became clear you were strong enough to enter the forest. You've grown quite strong, stronger than me." She sighed. "Years ago, when my sisters took mates to unlock their full powers, I thought them foolish. Now I see that I was foolish. That evil man came in here for me and there was little I could do to stop him. My immature powers were not meant to hold off an assailant, just defense in the event of an emergency. I see it now. I regret my decision."

Link felt unsure if he should comment but decided to comfort his Lady. "Farore, you could not have known. You were not ready at that time but you are ready now. You always have the future to gain your full powers as your sisters did. Okay?" He felt her nod. "Okay. Now, I think the best course of action would be to warn your sisters. If Ganondorf came after you, he will likely go after them."

Farore took a steadying breath and stepped away from Link. "Indeed." She looked up at him and began to pick leaves and twigs out of his hair. "He said that he had no interest in Nayru but Din could be in danger." She finished and performed a cleansing charm that even the youngest sprite would know. Her student showed no signs of being in the forest.

Link just nodded. "Then we should warn her first. Just let me get my sword, I wish I'd had it in the forest."

In minutes, the Goddess of Courage and her apostle were headed to the second floor where Din's quarters were located. It was as they were headed around the corner to the corridor her room was in that they heard the scream.

Link bolted forward with his Lady close behind. As they neared the room, there was a scream, this one quieter. The screams were coming from Din's room.

The door was open.

Link peered around the doorframe and barely stopped himself from swearing at what he saw. Farore was frozen, trembling with fright.

Din lay facedown on the floor of her workroom. Her hands and feet were cuffed together in what Link knew to be draining cuffs. They were very dark magic. They caused immeasurable pain and they drained the power from one being to another. She lay with her face smashed into the floor, her arms contorted behind her back and large hands gripping her hips kept her on her knees. Ganondorf was mounted behind her, his features twisted in fury. He was monstrous, to lay with a goddess without consent was a definite means of death.

Ganondorf, unaware of his audience, sneered down at his toy of the moment. "You know you love this, Din. You'll open your legs for any man that expresses interest. I've done this to countless women, and I'll continue, as I want. You won't be the last, you're not special. I'll leave you raped and broken when I'm satisfied," He leaned forward to snarl in her ear. "Just like all the others."

Link could take no more. He dashed into the room, sword out. He was behind Ganondorf in a flash. He swung his sword and basked in the anguished cry that his foe let escape.

Ganon staggered back away from his prey, reeling. There was now a large, deep gash across his back from his left shoulder blade to just above his right hip.

Ganon whirled around with a snarl. "Link, this is most unfortunate. I had hoped that you would be killed in the forest after I left, but I also hoped that you see the pain of your Lady. I suppose it is only fitting that we meet in this manner."

"Ganondorf, you have gone too far! Not only did you sexually attack my Lady, you also attacked and raped her Supremacy. You will stand before the Sages to be tried for your crimes!"

Ganondorf threw back his head in a sadistic laugh. "I will do no such thing, Hero." He snarled the younger man's title. "What I will do is live as I wish. I will gain power the likes of which you cannot begin to imagine, and I will conquer. I will become all-powerful, then I will return here. With my goals complete, you, the Prince, and the Trinity will die by my hand!" He cackled.

Link lashed out with his blade. Ganondorf was unable to completely evade the strike and was pierced in his side. He loosed a pained and furious yell, "You fool! Fine, you wish to hasten your impending doom? I doom the Trinity with a curse! They will continue to weaken until they are mortal, and then disease will strike! Thereupon their powers and immortality shall be mine! I will not rest until I see the Trinity die!"

Link leaped at the brutal man with a yell but he was thrown back as a wave of black energy surged from Ganondorf's feet to swirl around him. In a moment, both Ganondorf and the energy had vanished.

Link coughed and pushed himself into a sitting position.

Ganondorf had escaped.

He momentarily ignored the collapsed form of his Lady sobbing on the floor in order to aid Din. He quickly freed her from the draining cuffs; all he had to do was touch them with magic foreign to them. That is to say, not the magic of Ganondorf or anyone that had been restrained with them. His own magic was satisfactory. He helped the injured Goddess into her bed and covered her with blankets. He would send Nayru to check her health. He left Din's bed chamber, hearing soft sobs not only from her bed but from her workroom where Farore sat.

He went to sit next to his Lady and pulled her into his lap. It would do no good to move her in this state, he would comfort her until she calmed. He lay her head on his shoulder and let her cry into his neck. He smoothed her hair and rubbed soothing patterns on her back until she was calm. When she stopped crying, she looked up at him. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were swollen, her nose was running and she was breathing through her mouth. It was a far cry from her usual beauty but Link loved her all the more for her flaws.

"Link, we've been cursed to die mortal deaths, what will happen to us now?" Tears once again began to well up in the distraught Goddess' eyes.

Link hushed her and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Leave it to me. We will get Nayru to see to Din and then seek her counsel on the curse. I will do everything in my power to help you and your sisters. I will not see you killed." He kissed his first two fingers and twisted his hand in a complicated position over his heart. The mark of fealty. With that he swore an oath to his Goddess of his intentions.

Farore again rested her head on his shoulder. "Alright. Let us rouse Nayru and her Prince." She closed her eyes. "Link, I am grateful to have you as my Avatar of Courage."

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><p>Remember to review! I'd love to know how everyone feels about this chapter!<p> 


	6. To Help the Trinity

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda.

This is becoming more and more difficult to write.

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><p>"Your Divinity, Your Divinity!"<p>

Farore was right beside him, knocking. "Sister! Awaken, there has been an incident."

The door was flung open and in the doorway stood Nayru's apostle, Prince Zeldane of Hyrule. Link had always looked up to the man. Eight years his elder, Zeldane had treated Link as a younger brother of sorts and taught him life essentials that the female goddesses could not. Now, looking at the slightly taller man with sleep-mussed hair and a bare chest, he felt only relief. "Zeldane, there's been an incident with the Supremacy and Ganondorf. He raped her and left after I attacked him."

The Prince's eyes were wide but his mind was fast at work. "I will awaken Her Divinity and we shall hurry to Din's side to care for her. We will talk there. Wait a moment." The door was shut as he retreated into the goddess' rooms.

Link took a deep breath while he waited. Zeldane and her Grace would know what to do.

The Prince opened the door again. He held it open for Nayru and then followed her out.

Link wordlessly took point on the way back to Din's rooms, his hand never leaving his sword.

Once there, Nayru and Farore hurried into Din's bedchamber to care for her while Link and Zeldane waited outside. Zeldane sat gracefully at Din's worktable while Link guarded the door.

"Link, what is the situation?"

The blonde sighed. "It's complicated. It started when I went into the woods, I suppose. I missed the Wandering Wood and my Lady had forbid me from entering it years ago but I entered anyway. I found myself in a bit of trouble and I didn't have my sword but a man came to my aid. He wore a blue suit and white armor, a white cloth covered his face and hair except a section that was hanging in his face."

Zeldane nodded. "Sheik, I know of him."

"Right. So, he said to me that my Lady had sent him to guide me out of the forest. I, understandably, was suspicious. I did not know of him and I hadn't notified anyone that I was leaving the castle. He then told me that my Lady was assaulted while I was in the forest and that the assailant told her I was in the forest. I instantly pushed my suspicions aside to hurry to my Lady's side."

The royal nodded again. "As would I."

"An hour into our walk out, he started to talk. He asked me about my thoughts on her Divinity and yourself. I was honest and told him of my respect and care for the both of you. He then asked me why I look up to you and questioned how you earned my respect. He asked about my opinion of Ganondorf and why I didn't look up to him. Then he said that Ganondorf was more powerful than her Supremacy."

Zeldane's face was a mask of horror. "He spoke treason?"

"I told him so myself. I then proceeded to reprimand him for saying such a thing. I also made my opinion of Ganondorf's cruelty and unholy greed quite clear."

"Good for you. I must say that it is unlike Sheik to say such a thing…"

Link only grunted, "I wouldn't know. He was quiet for a time before he spoke again. He asked if I would ever lay with my Lady as the assailant attempted."

"He asked if you would ever rape her?!"

"I threatened to burn him to death with a fire spell and finally acted upon my suspicions. A servant of the Goddesses would not neglect to use their titles or attempt to turn me against them and especially ask my opinion on raping the Trinity. I yelled at him that he was not welcome and to leave the Trinity. He laughed and said that I would be surprised how welcome he was. He told me to watch my back and to watch my Lady and then he left."

Zeldane shook his head in denial. "That man could not have been Sheik, even if he did look like him. Sheik would never speak that way!"

"You're right, it wasn't Sheik; it was Ganondorf."

"What?"

"I hurried back to find my Lady in her rooms with the door thrown open. She was behind her shield and Ganondorf's story was true. He had attempted to rape her. I convinced her that I was who I said I was and we hurried to inform her Supremacy since Ganondorf had said something to my Lady about her."

"And my Divinity?" He spoke with the urgency of a man frightened for his loved ones.

"I was told by my Lady that Ganondorf had no interest in her Divinity." He sighed bitterly. "Maybe he paid her no mind since her student was present to protect her." He shook his head. Self-hatred would not help him. "We found Ganondorf in Her Supremacy's rooms in the process of raping her. I attacked him and landed a hit but he cursed the Trinity. They will weaken until they are mortal and then disease will kill them. Ganondorf said their powers and immortality would be his and then he escaped."

Link watched the man he loved like a brother think. His furrowed brow, his vacant expression, his incessant chewing on the corner of his mouth. He knew the expression well. He watched as light entered Zeldane's eyes and a look of determination came over his face.

"We try and figure out a way to negate the curse. If we negate it, we can effectively force Ganondorf to come up with a new plan and thus delay him. This gives us time to strike."

This was the reason he looked up to Zeldane. He always knew what to do. "Alright. Where do we start?"

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><p>It was days later when the symptoms started to show. Her Supremacy's complained of a bone-deep ache that could not be cured. Her Divinity had constant migraines. His Lady's golden complexion diminished to a sickly pallor before she'd fainted while walking to Nayru's library one morning. Fortunately Link had been there to catch her but it was worrying.<p>

After the youngest of them had collapsed due to weakness, the three of them had been moved to the infirmary. It was there for the wounded warriors but the cursed Trinity more than fulfilled the room's purpose. Zeldane was acting as their healer, since Link knew little of medicine other than battlefield patch-ups. Zeldane had raided the Divinity's private study to find books on dark magic. Once he found what type of curse they were dealing with, he could combat it. Together, the remaining students cast powerful spells and enchantments to slow the effects of the curse, to strengthen the Trinity and heighten their vitality, and to cease the drain on their lives for as long as they had magic. After all, magic would replenish itself with time; their lifespans would not. And if Ganondorf managed to drain away their immortality, the Trinity would perish within days.

They had yet to find a way to stop the curse.

Link sat by his Lady's side and held her dainty hand. Her sleep was not a restful one. Even in slumber she fought the curse. "What can I do to help you?"

"Hero."

The man in green turned at the sound. Her Divinity was propped up on pillows in her bed as her hair pooled on the floor beside her. She had a cold cloth on her forehead and her face was pinched in pain. He hurried to get her a glass of water. Her formerly beautiful voice was naught but a croak. He held the glass to her lips and allowed her to drink until she stopped. Zeldane wouldn't let her hold anything after she'd dropped a bowl of hot soup over herself due to her shaking hands.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "It pains me to see the Trinity this way. I wish there were a way for me to help you."

The blue-haired goddess shook her head. "There may yet be but you will not find it within my books. Not anymore. Before my last episode I went to look for the book which could have the answers. It was not in my room, my study, nor my library. It was taken, I believe, by Ganondorf. Without the book, there is but one possible option."

"Anything to help the Trinity."

Her smile was small but it was there. "Less the Trinity than Farore, I imagine."

Link blushed but refused to look away.

Her Divinity continued, "You must travel through the Rayless Forest. In the center you will find a shrine. Enter. Find the stairs and descend into the tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel, you will see a tower in the distance. Head toward it and you will find a maze. Halfway through the maze you will find an item essential to making it to the end alive. At the other side of the maze you will find our brother. If you can convince him to help us then he will know a way to break the curse."

He nodded and got to his feet. "Then I will leave immediately."

Nayru just gave him a hopeful look. "It is a dangerous journey. I wish you luck."

Link turned and kissed his Lady on the forehead. He ignored the faint sound of her Divinity's laughter as he left to gather his things.

This time, he would make sure to bring his sword.

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><p>Any thoughts on Ganondorf, the curse, Zeldane, the mysterious brother? Don't be afraid to ask. I can't guarantee an answer but I read every review and PM. Sometimes they even impact the plot :)<p> 


	7. A Terrible Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda.

The inspiration for this chapter came from Jester of Smiles. A round of applause.

I'm loving my head-cannon for this fic.

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><p>Link sighed as he headed into the Rayless Forest for the second time. This time would be different, he promised himself, he had his sword and he knew what to expect.<p>

Zeldane had been kind enough to give him a map and mark his route. He had to head into the darkest part of the forest and continue until he found a shrine. The shrine was supposed to be in the center of the forest so he figured he'd just wander until he found it. He had to go inside the shrine and descend into the tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel he'd see a tower. Head toward it and he'd see a maze. In the maze he'd find an item that would help him through the maze and at the end he'd finally find the Trinity's brother.

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><p>The forest was dark and unnerving, but he'd expected that. He was at home in his woods but these woods were eerie, and no matter how much he looked, he felt like someone was following him but saw nobody. In fact, he hadn't seen any monsters in a while either. That should have tipped him off long ago.<p>

He continued warily with the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He was not comfortable beneath these dark canopies and he'd prefer to complete this part of his journey as soon as possible. He wandered for a while before looking at his map. Zeldane said that there should be some sort of lake roughly this far in. He didn't see water. He didn't smell water. He didn't hear water. The ground didn't feel like there was any water nearby.

He was lost. He sighed and buried his head in his hands.

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Link spun. Behind him, where he was certain there had been no one, stood a man. He was tall and thin, with an unreasonably large rucksack on his back. The man wore bright colours, had neat red hair and a wide grin and his eyes were closed.

Link was instantly on edge. "What do you mean?"

The man stepped forward and Link held his ground while discretely making sure that the man wouldn't back him into a corner or a tree if he had to move. "Lost on an important journey, where time is of the essence, loved ones depending on you, while you struggle due to inexperience."

Nobody knew about the curse except Ganondorf, himself, Zeldane, and the Trinity. And how did this man learn about his journey. "Who are you?"

"Who I am in not important. Indeed, I have little importance in the works of fate. Important is a small bit of information I can offer you. It may help." The man's eyes opened a mere slit. They were red.

Link, unnerved, struggled with himself. He had no idea who this man was and he was suspicious. Why was he conveniently here in in the Rayless Forest, and why did he know about Link's secret journey? On the other hand, time was not on his side and he could spend hours trying to get back on track in this forest. Accepting the man's help would only benefit him.

"What is this information?" He closed his eyes and rubbed them tiredly. He trusted his instincts enough to dodge on a whim if the man tried anything.

The man's head tilted to the side. "The way to the shrine is a journey on it's own. Passed the darkest part of the forest is where you will find a tower of light. Be wary on your journey. The eyes are easily deceived. The ears hear only what they wish. The nose only smells the roses. When you hear the light, you are there."

"What?" He looked up and the man was gone. Not only was the man gone, but also Link was standing before a small lake. Had the lake been there all along? Had something addled his senses? And that man… Who was he? He had knowledge of things he should not, he was someplace he should not have been, he told Link information masked with riddles, and now he was simply gone. He felt that he couldn't trust the man, but he had no other option. He glanced at his map and continued his previous pace, headed around the lake.

Not more than two hours later, night fell. With the darkness came a thick fog. He quietly unsheathed his sword. He couldn't see, sound was dampened so it was hard to hear, and all he could smell was water. He'd be depending on touch and his instincts for the night then. Wonderful.

He jumped to the side and swung. He sliced through something and heard a yelp. He rolled forward and heard a thunderous boom directly behind him. He didn't dare look back as he felt tomething skim his shoulder. That felt like an arrow. Something tackled his legs and in his distraction, the next arrow hit. He went down.

A kick in the ribs, a hoof stomped on his face, growls echoed in the air, a bite on his sword arm, a sword missed his face but sliced some of his hair in his thrashing to get his assailants off of him. He paled when he felt the vibrations in the ground. He managed to roll away right before the boom sounded and was thrown away from his assailants. He saw a hazy outline of some sort of tentacle-esque thing with a ball at the end. He struggled to his feet at he felt the vibrations again. This time he did a quick sidestep to dodge the blow but then leapt at the tentacle. He secured his footing as it began to retract smoothly. It was headed up, and he understood why as soon as he was above the fog. The monster was a four-headed carnivorous plant with what seemed to be a long, hard tongue in each head to attack. Speaking of which, this particular head's teeth were fast approaching. His eyes darted around for an escape.

There! He waited until the last second, where the distance he had to leap would be at it's smallest. He leapt up. Hanging over the head of the plant was a vine. He missed.

With a yell, he fell. Before he could hit the ground, he hit another tongue and was thrown. Link tried to grab something, anything. He felt a vine near his hand and scrambled for it. He slid down before stopping, safe. He was never so grateful for his gloves.

He appraised the situation before kicking off a tree to launch himself at the plant. With a mighty yell, he landed on one of it's heads and sank his sword into it. It screamed and thrashed in a last attempt to throw him, but failed. He stayed even as the head plummeted toward the forest floor. A savage grin appeared on his face as several crunches were heard under the plant's massive weight. With swift, but careful, steps he climbed to the apex of the four steps. One of Din's more complicated but quick spells would work. With his hand outstretched and fingers splayed, he intoned, "Din's Fire."

The blast spread in a semi-sphere with him at the center and burned the plants as it progressed. He continued to siphon magic into the spell until the plant was naught but ash.

At the center, panting and drained, stood Link, victorious. Catching his breath, a smile lifted his face as the fog lifted and a rooster crowed. He knew that the night had not been long enough, and there were no roosters in this forest. Still, morning. Was this the sound of light? Was he there?

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><p>Link looked up at the shrine in shock. Who would have thought that something like this was in the middle of the forest? He wasn't expecting it to be so big. He'd been expecting a relatively small building in a state of disrepair. The man had spoken of a tower of light but he'd been expecting actual light, not this.<p>

He had not been expecting a large statue with an entrance at its feet. It was a large man made of a white precious stone. He honestly had no idea what it was, Din or Zeldane would know. The man was powerfully built, with a fearsome look on his face. He had some sort of lines on his face, but Link wasn't sure of their meaning. On the man's forehead was a golden triforce with a diamond inverse triangle filling the empty center.

This was definitely the place.

He warily headed toward the opening at the man's feet and found that he had to crouch to get in. Once inside, he marveled at the beauty, although the small rectangle room inside was somewhat dim. There was an excess of white but the influence of the Trinity was apparent in the various objects coloured red, blue and green; a vase here, a painting there. It was equally as beautiful as the Palace of the Trinity, but different. It was more masculine.

It wasn't hard to find the hidden entrance to the tunnel once he started looking. There was a painting of the Trinity on an empty stretch of wall. They all looked younger; as if they were all still immature Goddesses. Din was basking in the sun, Nayru was playing in a stream and Farore was sitting content on the grassy riverbank. In the sky above them, a man watched over them protectively.

He couldn't help bit shake his head at the obvious hiding spot. He began stepping on different areas of the floor in front of the painting. When that didn't work, he tried to move the painting. It would not move to either side and he could not remove it from the wall. It was purposely secured. On the top of the ornate frame – barely in his reach – were a ruby, sapphire, emerald, and diamond triforce. He pushed on it and heard a grinding sound as the wall moved outward and then slid to the side. He'd found the tunnel.

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><p>Any thoughts the forest, the man, Link, anything? Don't be afraid to ask. I can't guarantee an answer but I read every review and PM. Sometimes they even impact the plot :)<p> 


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